_____________________________________________________________________________________ Source E Kim, Susanna. Jobs Report: U.S. Economy Added 171,000 Jobs. ABCNews.com. ABC News Network.

2 November 2012. Web. 13 December 2012. <http:// Abcnews.go.com/Business/unemployment-rate-ticked-79-percent-us-added171000/story?id=17619906> _____________________________________________________________________________________

The following is excerpted from an online article on a news Web site discussing conclusions from job reports.

In the final monthly jobs report before Election Day, the government today said the U.S. unemployment rate for October ticked up to 7.9 percent. The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added 171,000 jobs, stating that the number of unemployed Americans was essentially unchanged in October at 12.3 million. "We still have a long way to go but this is a step in the right direction," said Stephen Bronars, chief economist of Welch Consulting. Analysts had expected around 125,000 added jobs, according to Bloomberg News. Bronars said October's jobs report was positive despite the unemployment rate increase, because more people resumed looking for work. He called the 171,000 jobs added "solid" and noted there were upward revisions to the reports of the past two months. The unemployment rate for September was 7.8 percent. In Friday's report, the BLS revised September's nonfarm payroll employment to 148,000 jobs added from the previously announced 114,000. August's figure was changed to 192,000 from 142,000 jobs added. There were also increases in the employment-to-population ratio, at 58.8 percent, and the labor force participation rate, 63.8 percent, after both of the rates had stalled in the summer, he said. The participation rate has fallen by about two percentage points over the past 46 months. Health care and business and professional services continue to be strong performers in the U.S. economy. Educated workers face an improving labor market while employment for adults with a high school degree or less has fallen by 381,000 in the past year. Payroll provider ADP Thursday said private employers added 158,000 jobs in October, larger than September's revised gain of 114,000. Meanwhile, applications for unemployment benefits were 363,000, seasonally adjusted, for the week ending Oct. 27, down 9,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.